1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a securing device for lace-type shoes. More particularly, this invention relates to a securing device which a user may attach and adjust quickly and effectively.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many shoes have a lace-type closure, including a pair of adjacent closure flaps and a lace which connects the two flaps. When taking off these shoes, a wearer first loosens the lace along a substantial portion of the closure. Conversely, when putting such a shoe on, a wearer tightens the lace along the entire closure.
The shoes described above provide a suitable closure, but they present an inconvenience. Some individuals, e.q., handicapped people and small children, cannot easily tighten and tie their closure. Others lack the patience required to properly tighten and loosen the laces. Still others, e.g., triathletes, use the shoes in situations which require that the wearer quickly put the shoes on and take them off.
The prior art includes shoes with lace-type closures designed to solve the problem or disadvantage described above. Mahood U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,761 and Salisbury U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,916 describe shoes with "quick lace tightening" closures. But the closures described present other disadvantages. For example, they require redesigning of the shoes which use them, oftentimes including the permanent fixation, e.q., sewing, of hook and loop-type strips to the body of the shoe.
The securing device of the present invention avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. It allows a user to quickly put his or her shoes on and take them off. It is a simple construction not permanently affixed to any portion of a shoe. A user may apply this construction to any lace-type shoe and may easily transfer it to other similar shoes.